


Unification Day

by emungere



Category: Firefly
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-09-18
Updated: 2004-09-18
Packaged: 2018-02-17 20:17:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2321927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emungere/pseuds/emungere
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's U-Day again, and Mal is looking for a distraction.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unification Day

**Author's Note:**

> Mucho thanks to Chrissy for beta reading and to Kirby for inspiration

"Very good gloves, sir. Very warm. Genuine rabbit-fur lining."

The genuine rabbit fur and the glee in the woman's voice translated in Jayne's mind to 'expensive as hell.'

"Got anything cheaper?"

She sniffed and turned around to dig through her inventory.

A hand reached past Jayne and picked up a pair of thin black leather gloves.

"Try these." 

It was Mal's voice, so close to Jayne's ear that he could feel the warmth of expelled air as the words were spoken. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Thought you had business to do."

"It's done." Mal took Jayne's wrist and slapped the gloves into his hand. "Try them."

"It's the middle of ruttin' winter on this ball of rock. If we're staying here one more damn day, I'm getting something warm, and these ain't warm."

But he didn't put the gloves back down. They lay in his hand, cool in the chilled air, but so soft and smooth. Almost alive, waiting to be filled.

Mal stepped closer, and Jayne was very much aware that with one more inch their bodies would meet. He could feel a stripe of heat down his side, warming him in more ways than one.

"Just put the damn gloves on, Jayne."

He knew he should ask why, but with that tone in Mal's voice, he didn't care why. He slid them on, one after the other, feeling them stretch across his hands like a second skin, almost too tight.

Mal took his wrist again and turned his hand over, running blunt nails across his palm, making him shiver.

"Mal, what are you..."

"You buying those?"

Mal kept his hand around Jayne's wrist and turned to the woman behind the counter. "How much?"

A few minutes of haggling later, Jayne let himself be led off through the maze of the outdoor market. Mal's hand was a circle of heat around his wrist, and his blood carried that heat through his body. His cock grew heavy and full, and he could still feel the drag of nails over skin-tight leather on his palm.

The shops around them were closing as the sun went down, the streets gradually emptying. A light snow started to fall. The street was dark and quiet when they rounded the next corner, and Jayne stopped, waiting until Mal turned to face him.

"Mal...what..." What the hell's going on, he wanted to say, but the words stuck in his throat. Whatever was going on, he didn't want it to stop.

"You know what day this is?" Mal asked.

"Uh...Wednesday?"

"Unification Day."

"Oh."

"Zoe said if I get in another fight and interrupt her downtime, she'll have my guts for garters." Mal paused. "Actually, her phrase was a lot more colorful, but you get the idea."

"Yeah, but--"

"If I sit around the ship, I'll go nuts," Mal said quietly. "So I got to find something else to do with myself tonight."

Jayne looked down at the hand curled around his wrist. Mal's thumb stroked the bare skin above the glove.

"And that something else is me?"

Mal lifted one shoulder and let it fall. One corner of his mouth turned up.

"I know you want me. And I'm...not much good with strangers. Especially at times like this. You gonna tell me no?"

*I know you want me.* The words echoed in Jayne's head to the beat of his pulse which was suddenly roaring in his ears.

"How...how'd you know?"

"'Cause I ain't stupid. Are you gonna tell me no?"

Jayne looked at Mal's face, startled, and saw the nervousness in the words reflected in his expression. Snow collected in Mal's hair and on his eyelashes, melting and darkening them to wet spikes. It made him look as if he'd been crying.

"I ain't gonna tell you no."

He watched as Mal's face relaxed, as some of the tension went out of his stance. Only then did he realize how much Mal had been on edge, and even then he couldn't quite believe it. Over this. Over him.

Mal's fingers laced though his, but more for control than contact. It felt possessive, and it came as a slight shock to Jayne to realize that he had no problem with that. They started walking again.

"Are we going back to the ship?"

"No," Mal said. "We'll find a hotel."

It was easy enough to guess Mal didn't want anyone on Serenity to know what they were doing tonight. Easy enough to guess they wouldn't be doing it again. Jayne tried to shrug it off. Not like it was a surprise.

The first hotel they found was full up. So were the second and the third.

The grip on Jayne's hand tightened, and there were jagged edges to Mal's words when he spoke.

"What is with this town? Not as if it's got so much to offer that the whole ruttin' 'verse has to come for a visit."

The snow was falling thicker now, but Jayne could see a light ahead of them. A glass building loomed out of the snow, a single lamp flickering above its door.

"Hey, Mal."

"What?"

Jayne nodded to the building. "It ain't a hotel, but it don't look like anybody's home."

Mal peered through the fogged glass and then tried the door. "Locked."

Jayne fished a lock pick out of his pocket, and soon it wasn't locked any more. They stepped inside, and Jayne stopped short.

Warm, most air surrounded them as Mal shut the door. A sweet smell of earth hung in the air. Vines trailed down from the ceiling.

"What is this place?"

"It's a greenhouse," Mal said. "Must be the magistrate's. No one else around these parts could afford it."

By the light from the streetlamps outside, Jayne could see the glass roof high above them, covered in snow, the dark flowers of the vines, the silvery glint of the grass beneath their feet.

He walked a few feet further into the vast space. Trees spread above them, thick with leaves in the middle of winter and bigger than any Jayne had seen growing outdoors on this world.

"He must have had them shipped out from the Core."

As Mal spoke, Jayne felt hands pulling at his jacket from behind, easing it off his shoulders. He straightened his arms out behind him and let it fall to the ground. He started to peel off the gloves as well, but Mal caught his wrists.

"Leave them on."

"What is it with you and these gloves?"

"I like them. Wear them for me."

Jayne turned, hoping to get some clue from Mal's eyes, but Mal was looking at the ground.

"I did wash my hands before I left the ship, Mal."

Mal threw him a sour glance. "Funny. You're a regular laugh riot. It's gonna kill you to wear them?"

"It's gonna kill you to tell me why you want me to?"

Mal crossed his arms and looked down at the grass again. "You and black leather--good combination. That's all. Okay?"

Jayne couldn't stop the smirk spreading over his face.

"Oh, for pity's sake," Mal muttered. "And you wonder why I didn't want to say anything."

"I'll wear them."

"After that, you damn well better."

Jayne watched him for a moment and then moved to push Mal's coat off and slide his suspenders down. Mal looked up at him, surprise on his face, though Jayne couldn't imagine why. This was Mal's idea, after all.

"What?"

"I--" Mal stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. Not important."

Jayne pulled his own shirt off and started on Mal's buttons. "What?"

"I guess I didn't expect to strip down for this."

"Are we doing this again? Ever?"

"Probably not."

"Then we're getting naked. You and nothing at all sounds like a damn fine combination to me."

Mal blinked at him and quickly looked away. "Okay."

Jayne bent to take off his boots, and when he straightened up, he saw Mal standing a few feet away, his back turned, in nothing but his skin. The sight went straight to his cock, and he had to breathe for a minute before he could do anything else.

He shucked off the rest of his clothes, letting them fall anywhere, and walked up behind Mal. His hands hovered above Mal's bare shoulders, not quite convinced he was allowed to touch.

Mal turned and wrapped his arms loosely around Jayne's neck. His head fell forward to rest on Jayne's shoulder.

"What do you want?" Jayne asked quietly.

His hands brushed over Mal's sides, pressing firmly, feeling some warmth even through the gloves. He felt Mal shiver at the touch.

Mal's voice was quiet, but the words were clear. "Fuck me, Jayne. That's what I want."

Jayne caught him close, wanted him closer. Got hands under his thighs and lifted him up, Mal's legs spreading easily for him, Mal's already dripping cock pressed against his stomach. Mal rocked against him with tiny jerks of his hips, eyes tight shut and his face soft, yielding. Jayne wished he would open his eyes. He wanted so badly to see...whatever was there.

Mal's face turned toward his, lips parted, and Jayne didn't hesitate. The kiss was sweet, the mouth against his welcoming and warm. Arms tightened around his neck, and Mal rocked more urgently against him, breath coming in pants and gasps between searching kisses.

He held on hard, fingers digging into Mal's thighs as Mal came against him, thinking he would come himself just from this. Just from the sounds Mal was making for him, from the abandon with which the other man moved against him, drawing out the pleasure, baring his throat to Jayne's lips and teeth.

Jayne sank to his knees afterward, hands on Mal's back and neck, feeling the strain in his arms for the first time. Holding Mal up had seemed effortless.

Tremors ran through the body under his hands, and Mal's face was pressed against his neck. Neither of them spoke. Jayne listened to Mal's ragged breathing and could think of nothing to say. His own desire faded into the background.

Finally, Mal spoke, the words hardly more than a breath. "Want you inside me. Now."

"Don't have any--"

"In my coat pocket."

Mal didn't offer to get off him, and Jayne didn't want him to. He reached out behind him, hoping they were still close enough, and snagged the coat with one finger. He fished a small tube out of the pocket.

Mal leaned back until he was lying on the ground, legs still wrapped around Jayne's waist. He let Jayne spread them further, giving him access, moaning softly when Jayne slid a finger into him, but shaking his head.

"Don't bother with that," he whispered. "Just do it. Now, Jayne, now, come on, I need this..."

His eyes were closed still, face flushed. His head was turned away, one cheek pressed into the grass.

Jayne had to stop for a second and just look at him. Never thought he'd see Mal like this. Not ever. This, right now, he wanted to remember.

"Jayne..."

Wanted to remember the sound of Mal's voice, caught between commanding and begging. Like there was a chance he'd forget. Any of this.

He slicked himself up and pushed in hard and fast. Mal's face grew strained, but he said nothing, and his cock was hardening again. Jayne closed his hand around it. He'd almost forgotten about the gloves, and the contrast of black leather against skin was startling.

Mal's mouth dropped open at the touch, but he made no sound. When Jayne started to move inside him, the only thing he said was, "Harder."

Jayne was used to holding back, used to being with someone he could hurt without meaning to, but Mal was near a match for him. If Mal wanted it harder, he'd get it.

He pulled Mal up towards him, making the angle deeper, making it easier to thrust, and shoved himself deep into tight, burning heat. His hand worked Mal's cock, but Mal hardly seemed to care about that, pushing and twisting himself to meet Jayne's thrusts.

Jayne was trying to keep control, but this was every fantasy he'd ever had about this man come to life, and he was going to come soon whether he wanted to or not.

"Gonna--"

Mal's eyes snapped open. "Don't." It was an order.

"Have to."

"Wait."

"Can't!"

"When I say, and not before."

"Oh, god," Jayne moaned quietly. "You can't be fucking serious."

He was hanging on by a thread as Mal moved against him, and every thrust was as hard as he could make it, totally beyond his control. He felt it gathering inside him, wondered why he was bothering to try to hold back--but he knew. Couldn't say no to Mal. Not in this, not in anything.

"Now."

The word was all it took, and Jayne was coming hard, hand still jerking Mal's cock until he felt warmth and wetness on his wrist above the glove and stickiness soaking through it. His hips jerked, trying to get even more, even deeper, and he couldn't tell whether the sob he heard was pulled from his own throat or Mal's.

Afterward, as he withdrew, he saw Mal wince.

"Hurts?"

"Yeah." But Mal didn't sound upset about it. His voice was soft and satisfied.

Mal's eyes were closed again, and when Jayne stripped the gloves off and pulled him close, he made no objection. His body curved to fit Jayne's, pliant and warm.

"Better than a bar fight?" Jayne asked.

Mal chuckled. "Yeah. Better than a bar fight."

***

Jayne awoke tense, unsure where he was or what had happened, but when he heard Mal mutter in his sleep, it all came back. He peered outside, but there was still no light from the sky, only the unnatural orange of the streetlamps. He shifted, and Mal's thigh slipped between his. He felt himself growing hard from the touch and eased away.

He was nearly sure if he woke Mal now, they'd be heading back to the ship, and he'd be dealing with his hard-on in his bunk by himself. He rolled away and propped himself against a tree trunk, hand closing lightly on his cock. He looked at Mal's peaceful sprawl. At least this way, he'd have something pretty to look at while he was jacking off.

He started slow, remembering the feel of Mal's body squeezing around him, remembering smell and touch and taste, remembering everything he could. He closed his eyes for a second and opened them to find Mal watching him.

"I ain't stopping now," Jayne told him.

Mal grinned briefly and turned away. Jayne thought that would be the end of it, but after a second Mal turned back and crawled over to kneel beside him. Mal's hands rested on his thighs, encased in black leather. Jayne caught his breath. He was suddenly starting to see the appeal of those gloves.

He let Mal push his hands away and take over. One hand closed around his aching cock, and one arm went around his shoulders, pulling him close. He felt Mal's breath on his neck, heard a stream of murmured words as the leather glided against him.

"Like it, don't you? Yeah, knew you wanted it, so long, for so damn long. Aching for it, want my hands on you, want to fuck me so hard, want me spread for you..."

Every word of it so true, and he'd gotten it all tonight, and Mal's voice was bringing it all back. Hearing him say it, hearing him admit what they'd done, what Mal had let him do, took him closer to the edge every second, and in the end, it was the words more than the touch that made him come crying Mal's name.

He slumped against the tree, rough bark grating against his back. Mal leaned against him, hand resting on his leg, stroking gently.

Jayne caught his wrist, meaning to take the glove off, but Mal pulled against the grip. Didn't twist his hand away or say a word, just pulled. Jayne had to wonder why. In a contest of strength against strength, they both knew who would win. The silent struggle continued a moment longer, and then Mal gave up, his whole arm limp and malleable as Jayne took the glove off and tossed it away, then did the same with the other hand.

"Looks good on you, too," Jayne said. "But your hands feel better."

He heard Mal's quiet laughter.

"Hell, Jayne, I think that was almost romantic."

"Just the truth."

Mal took his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Yeah. Guess you're right, at that."

Jayne took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Mal?"

"Mm?"

"Better than a bar fight, right?"

"Said so, didn't I?"

"So...you think...next year?"

Mal was silent for a moment. "Long time away."

Jayne sighed. "Well, I ain't going nowhere."

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"You ain't the first person to say so."

"Well, there's a big damn surprise."

"Mal? Next year?"

Mal unwound his arm from Jayne's shoulders and took Jayne's hand in both of his, spreading his fingers out, stroking thumbs over the palm.

"Next year. Sure. At least I won't worry Zoe any more."

Mal fell asleep a few minutes later, leaning against Jayne's shoulder, but Jayne stayed up, thinking. Wondering. He would wait a year if that was what it took. But he looked down at Mal's hands still holding onto his and thought maybe he wouldn't have to wait that long.


End file.
